For this journal activity, you will review the sources linked in the Supporting Materials section. Then, use the provided checklist in the Supporting Materials section to determine if the source is credible or not credible and explain your rating choice. Note: The sources may be unrelated to your project. This activity serves as an exploration of evaluating the credibility of sources. Specifically, you must address the following rubric criteria: Identify a rating for each source. You can rate each source as not credible, somewhat credible, or very credible. Use the provided checklist when making your rating. Explain the rating that you chose for each source…..READMORE
How did the criteria in the checklist make something more or less credible? What to Submit Submit your journal assignment as a 1- to 2-page Microsoft Word document with 12-point Times New Roman font, double spacing, and one-inch margins.
Answer
Evaluating Credible Source
Source: Study from Annals of Agrarian Science
Rating: Very Credible
The academic journal article from the Annals of Agrarian Science is a credible source since it fulfills all the criteria above for authority, lack of bias, accuracy, and currency. First, the author’s credentials are clearly stated: Nikolay Trendov is identified as an affiliate with the University of National and World Economy in Sofia, Bulgaria, meaning he has the proper expertise and academic background regarding agrarian science. The journal in which the research was published, Annals of Agrarian Science, is a recognized peer-reviewed publication concerning agriculture and related sciences; its relation to the academic publisher Elsevier speaks further to its validity. It is also objective regarding bias; the tone is objective, and the structure is analytical, thus fitting well in the mold of scholarship. There are no overt efforts at persuasion or any evident function of commercial interests or other conflicts of interest to undermine the impartiality of the article.
The referencing within the article is very good; this provides an avenue through which the readers can verify information. This will increase the accuracy and transparency expected in a credible academic source. Lastly, the 2018 publication date places the research in a relatively recent period that fits within most academic work’s 10-year rule as a rule of thumb. Such publication in a reputable journal shows that the research has undergone critical review and is believed to be worthy of serving as an addition to knowledge within the field.
In conclusion, this journal article from Annals of Agrarian Science fulfills most of the defining features of a reliable source that a student can use for a research-based assignment. Considering the author’s background and credentials, the journal’s academic standing, objectivity of the tone, proper citations, and timeliness of the research, this source is pretty reliable and authoritative.
Source: Newspaper
Credibility rating: Somewhat credible
Newspapers can also be a good source of information; however, their credibility is usually lower for research or academic purposes than scholarly publications. Some limitations to newspapers affect their credibility, including potential biases, a lack of depth in analysis, and faster news cycles. Newspapers sometimes reflect the agendas, biases, or even political orientations of either the paper itself, the journalists who penned them, or sources upon which the journalists draw. These results in either a lack of objectivity or a way of presentation that intends to convince rather than inform.
Apart from that, newspapers’ format and production schedule often make depth of analysis impossible. The newspaper articles are relatively short; cramped space does not allow for much-needed depth, context, and references expected in academic or professional research.
That said, trustworthy, fact-based newspapers can serve as valid sources today, with the caveats of timeliness and currency, or they can be used to get a ballpark clue and starting point. The credibility of the newspaper source would include the quality of the publication, the expertise of the journalists writing, fact-checking, and active editorial oversight. Working with newspapers as a source means being aware of the risk of bias, corroborating critical information with other credible sources, and setting limitations regarding the depth of analysis and scholarly apparatus.
While newspapers may be a passable source of information, they are generally less credible than peer-reviewed academic journals or books published through reputable presses or any other source that has undergone an editorial process more stringently. Their value as research sources depends on the publication and how the information is used within the broader research context.